Editorial: View test results in proper context

Just-released test scores for New York students in grades three through eight suggest only 31 percent of them are proficient in math and reading. That's down considerably from last year's test results, but it's not nearly the whole picture.

For months, state education officials have been warning the percentage would be lower because, quite frankly, the tests are considerably harder, and that's not a bad thing.

The state is aligning itself with "Common Core" standards, a national set of guidelines under President Barack Obama's "Race to the Top" initiative intended to boost academic rigor.

Over the years, the state and federal government have made many changes to standardized tests, so comparisons between year to year at times virtually are meaningless. At one point, there were legitimate concerns about grade inflation and about educators "dumbing down" the tests to show better results.

Obviously, society does not benefit from such a direction.

State educators also have cited various studies showing too many New York students have been unprepared for college-level work. Many have required remedial courses in colleges to catch up.

Though standardized tests cause much consternation for young students and families, it is better to catch learning problems earlier rather than later in life. That said, teachers, parents and students do have a legitimate point that not enough time was spent getting textbooks and other classroom material aligned with the new tests.

Tests, for certain, are no panacea but their results can provide reasonable benchmarks and warnings if handled properly. They also can eradicate the "achievement gap" among students over time and help education officials identify persistent failing schools.

Realizing they are now under evaluations that put an added emphasis on student test scores, teachers have raised legitimate concerns that these recent exam results will reflect poorly on their job performance. But the state is making it clear to school districts that teachers should not be hurt by these lower test scores, that adjustments must be made to reflect the much-needed transition to the new, more rigorous curriculum.

The tests require students to perform more complex, deductive-reasoning tasks. In some instances, students are required to answer questions based on reading passages rather taking multiple-choice questions.

The state Education Department has said repeatedly that these tests are a baseline for future years and shouldn't be deemed as a slide in the performance of teachers and students.

The results, however, show how far we need to go to ensure students get a top-notch education and are ready to compete in the global economy, especially for more complex jobs in the growing health-care and high-tech fields.

This change will come with some pain, but raising the bar is imperative - as long as there is a clear understanding of what's being done and why.